Architect alum’s work honored for artistic and environmental design

Fans of shows like House Hunters and Extreme Homes will appreciate this one: a 6-bedroom, 4.2-bath, three-story property (7,000 square feet), with water views from the living room, dining room, kitchen, and every bedroom, and built to such strict environmental standards that it earned a gold LEED rating. [See photos of the house here.]

“The importance that Mohr places on the natural world is apparent the moment that visitors step through the front door. To the left is a bamboo garden that runs the length of the entire wall. … Walls are painted gray with just a touch of green, matching the color of the architect’s eyes. Hardwood floors gleam throughout the home, broken up occasionally by a sisal rug. Railings are steel, and furniture is built close to the ground so as not to impede the view. A cream leather sectional in the living room is flanked by two chaise longues in a woven charcoal fabric.”

The house also includes solar panels, a 210-foot “living shoreline” to prevent erosion and provide a habitat for the local aquatic life, and a watering system that uses collected rainwater. Most of the wood in the house was grown and milled locally. Mohr was even able to donate or recycle 95% of the materials from the house that previously stood on the site.

A former Student Foundation member while at Baylor, Mohr and business partner Amy Gardner founded Gardner Mohr Architects in the Chesapeake area in 2003 with a focus on artistic, yet sustainable building design. The duo have received multiple honors from the American Institute of Architects.